The role of the Government in planning for a post COVID future

Speech of Minister of State of Singapore Mr. Kiat How Tan:

In response to a question on the role of the Government in planning for a post-COVID future, I said that Governments would (a) have to play a more active role in leaning against market forces that lead to digital divides in the economy and society; and (b) be prepared to invest in a foundational set of digital utilities as public goods, similar to what we do for physical infrastructure like water and power. 
It was an engaging session yesterday at the fireside chat of The Economist’s Innovation@Work Asia Week, with moderator Dr Andrew Staples of The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU).
 
By now, many of us recognise that COVID-19 has changed how we work and do business in profound ways. SMEs make up a key sector in Singapore because they account for around two-thirds of employment and constitute 99% of all enterprises here. We support them through the initiatives under the SMEs Go Digital programme. Beyond that, the Government will continue to transform our workforce, and pay extra attention to our older workers to adopt technology.
 
The Government therefore has a responsibility to help our workforce and companies ride the pandemic wave. However, our partners from the industry, unions and the society also play a crucial role to ensure that no one is left behind in Singapore’s digitalisation journey!